What Are the Benefits of Getting an MBA?

An MBA benefits all kinds of professionals so that they may advance into managerial positions or even start their own businesses. Regardless of their field, people in business need to understand how business works, and a good MBA (Master of Business Administration) program provides them with the training they need. Engineers, educators, doctors, and other professionals not trained in business risk failure if they attempt to start or manage business without the sound skills and knowledge obtained while earning an MBA.

Skills

MBA graduates are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in business. Not only does an MBA degree provide the knowledge of specific areas such as financial accounting, marketing, operations management, strategy, and data analysis, but it also develops personal skills. An MBA graduate learns management skills to deal with customers, employees, suppliers, and other persons involved in business. An MBA benefits a professional by equipping him or her to successfully handle real-life problems and create effective solutions. It develops the business acumen, leadership, communication, and expertise necessary for success.

Opportunities

The benefits of an MBA are not only in the skills imparted but also in the opportunities created. An MBA is a great advantage to anyone who is competing in the job market for the best, highest-paying positions. A report by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found that 75% of MBA graduates said that they would not have their current jobs without their MBA degrees (reported by U.S. News & World Report). Furthermore, 93% said that they succeeded in obtaining the exact jobs they were seeking after graduating with an MBA. That same report found that MBA graduates earn higher salaries, with approximately 82% of graduates saying that their starting salary met or exceeded their expectations. Forbes reports that MBA graduates from the top 50 business schools find starting salaries that are 50% higher than what they had earned in the year prior to starting business school, and then their salaries almost double over the next five years. Many MBA alumni are able to advance their careers with their current employers. Often, an employer will pay an employee’s tuition to an MBA program, which means that the employee not only receives additional education, but also that the employer is invested in his or her success. This provides job security, which is invaluable in today’s difficult job market.

Business Ownership

Entrepreneurs need more than just ideas to make their businesses succeed. They need the sound business skills and practices that are some of the benefits of an MBA. Anyone who seeks to become a business owner needs to develop core competencies in order to startup, market, manage, and grow a profitable business, and an MBA will help provide the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. An MBA can even help an entrepreneur identify a profitable business opportunity and build it from the ground up.

The benefits of an MBA are better skills and opportunities, which ultimately translate into a better job and higher pay. With business schools across the country offering MBA programs either on campus or online, the opportunity for obtaining an MBA has never been more convenient or affordable. For professionals in every type of field, choosing to further their education makes sense because an MBA benefits them all.